2 Is Far Too Young
by WizMonCruWil
Summary: "Bellatrix flinched in disbelief. "You dare address me by name? You filthy MUDBLOOD SPAWN!" Flying into a rage, she flung the teenagers back towards Greyback, even as she roughly dragged a terrified and simpering Rose towards the center of the room. "Put Mummy and Daddy and Ugly-Face in the cellar! Auntie Bellatrix is going to have a little chat with this one!"" Impossible? Read!
1. Chapter 1: I Can't You Lose To Him

**Chapter 1: I Can't Lose You To Him**

"He's way too old for you," Ron Weasley was fuming as he stormed through the portrait hole of Gryffindor Tower.

" _What_?" Hermione Granger gawped. " _What_? Is _that_ what you think?"

"Yeah, that's what I think," Ron replied flatly, the sneer on his face palpable. He had been seething all night, and had not even bothered to hide it. Seeing his Hermione in the arms of that Bulgarian Quidditch peacock had nearly driven him to distraction. And she had looked - still looked - so bewitching in that pink dress...

"You know the solution then, don't you?" Hermione stalked after him, eyes flashing sharper than a hawk's.

"Go on."

"Next time there's a Ball, pluck up the courage and ask me before somebody else does... and not as a last resort!" Her deep brown eyes were blinking back tears, and the crack in her voice was disturbingly noticeable.

Ron was struck by her comment, even as it ramped up his jealous rage. Did we have to scream it in her face? Well, he would make it clear. Besides, the Common Room was empty, and no one had yet been woken up hearing them row.

"I CAN'T LOSE YOU TO HIM!" Ron grabbed Hermione and gave her a little shake. Her mouth fell open, speechless, and she could only stare at him, as he hung his head dejectedly. "I can't... I always lose the best things to someone else... someone better... like Harry or Krum... I just want something that's mine."

Hermione was surprised. Forcing herself to wipe away the gape on her face, she peered at him. Then, slowly...

She wound her arms about his neck and kissed him deeply. Her eyes fluttered shut instantly, and it did not take long before she felt Ron respond to the kiss. He backed them towards the couch by the fireplace, their lips still fused together, and Ron lowered Hermione onto the cushions. The folds of her pink dress rode up towards her hips, but Hermione didn't care. Ron was kissing her like she was the most beautiful girl in the castle, and it made her feel so proud and valued and loved... She couldn't pretend that when it came to other girls noticing Ron, she had not felt the same things Ron had over Viktor Krum noticing her.

Every kiss, every caress, was making Hermione burn with pleasure and... she never felt so alive. It was without conscious thought that she and Ron began tearing away at each other's clothes, until both were starkers, naked on the couch.

The kiss finally broke at last, and they gazed at each other, panting. Hermione's throat suddenly felt very dry and she gulped. Her eyes could not - would not - leave Ron's.

"Do you... do you want to stop?" Ron pondered her so gently.

"No," and Hermione was flustered to hear how she moaned the word. To stop now would be unimaginably cruel. Here was a man she had loved since she was a little girl, a first year fresh on the Hogwarts Express. Grasping his neck, Hermione pulled Ron down for another kiss. Closer, closer... closer still -

Slowly, he entered her. Hermione flopped back into the cushions, her face scrunching up with discomfort and she let out a whine of pain. To his credit, Ron halted immediately. "Go... go slow," she rasped out. After a moment or two, Ron slowly began to thrust into her back and forth. Sighing, Hermione raised her hips to meet him at every collision of their bodies.

Heat. Pain. Then pleasure, indescribable pleasure. "Huhh... uhh... ohhhh... Godric..." Tears of happiness pricked at her eyes. Finally, she whimpered, "Ron!" She came all around him.

Another slam into her, and then a grunt, as Ron followed inside of her. Hermione's eyes rolled into the back of her head, and her vision became spotty. She sensed their union becoming dissolved, Ron gallantly picking her up, conjuring her dress back onto her, and heading for the girls' dormitory staircase. Silently entering to avoid waking up a sleeping Lavender and Pavarti, Hermione felt warm sheets under her.

She slurred something, but a second later, she was in a blissful sleep.


	2. Chapter 2: Bound Forever

**Chapter 2: Bound Forever**

The year 1995 had been rung in well and prosperously. The Yule Ball was gradually receding from everyone's minds.

It was close to the end of January, and Ron had still not spoken one word to Hermione about the magical evening they had shared.

Perhaps he was feeling as awkward about it as she was, not knowing how to bring it up. Yes, they had made love unexpectedly, but Hermione had always secretly wished that if someone ever took away her virginity, Ron might be the one to do the deed. And he had been so attentive, shy and sweet, in ravishing her. Their coupling had been better beyond her wildest dreams. Short, maybe, but then again, she had read most first times were. And she had known it was going to hurt; the first time always did for a girl.

However, it quickly became apparent that how to broach the subject of a possible romantic relationship with Ron was the least of Hermione's problems. She had begun to take more and more frequent trips to the girls' lavatory lately, sometimes to pee, but more often to throw up. It usually occurred at inopportune times, most often in the middle of class. Naturally, Harry and Ron were worried about her, taking it upon themselves to surreptitiously have one of them follow her to the bathroom, wait outside the door, and then escort her back, with the other spelling his friends on notes. With the exception of Snape, all of the professors tolerated this, knowing how close the three friends were.

Valentine's Day was just around the corner, and Hermione was beginning to plan something special for Ron, in hopes of forcing the issue that was on both of their minds when suddenly -

She missed her period. She hadn't even realized until she happened to check her bedpost calendar and noticed the marked day was more than a full week back, nearly two.

With shaking hands, Hermione waved her wand and muttered the Pregnancy Detection Charm.

When the tip of her wand turned green, she burst into tears.

She shouldn't have been so careless. Not that she for an instant regretted having sex with Ron, but she should at least have had the foresight to cast a contraceptive charm. But now it was too late. What was done was done. And Ron was going to be a father in roughly seven months. He deserved the right to know.

The morning of Valentine's Day was a Sunday, and Hermione requested of her best friends that they go for a stroll along the sunny grounds. The Trio took their usual place underneath their favorite beech tree. Hermione dared herself to lean her head on Ron's shoulder; to her encouragement, he did not brush her off.

"Ron," she murmured quietly, tracing her fingers lazily in the waters of the Lake. "I have something to tell you."

Harry peered at her with his emerald-green eyes, one eyebrow raised, obviously having picked up on the singular subject. Meeting the Boy Who Lived's gaze, Hermione made a split second decision. Harry was her oldest and dearest friend. "Harry, can you keep a secret?"

Harry nodded, brow furrowed. "Anything." Satisfied, Hermione turned back to Ron, who was gazing at her with such concern in his eyes - a brilliant blue - that her heart melted.

"I'm pregnant," she murmured.

His mouth dropped open, and from behind her, she heard Harry gasp.

"When the ruddy hell did this happen?" Harry demanded, but Ron's jaw was set in thought, as he held up one hand to silence his best mate.

"Are you certain?" Ron demanded, his voice so soothingly gentle.

Hermione nodded, just before Ron's lips closed over hers in a kiss.

"Will someone... please!" Harry's voice trailed off in shock. Ron and Hermione broke apart tenderly.

"Do you love me?" she dared to ask, searching his eyes. She drew in a sharp breath when she felt a calloused hand come to rest gently over her abdomen.

"I've... never loved you more in all my living life," Ron whispered.

* * *

Molly Weasley's one eye dangerously twitched, as she tried to process what her son, her surrogate son, and their friend had said. Behind her, at her desk, Minerva McGonagall's gaze was steely, though even she could not hide the shock.

"She... she must get an abortion! At once!" Molly squeaked. "She is but a baby herself!"

Standing awkwardly by the fireplace, Mr. and Mrs. Granger clung to each other's hands for support. Hermione's father cleared her throat.

"I quite agree." He approached his daughter. "Come, Hermione, I can take you to clinic in London right now."

But Hermione had sprung out of her seat and retreated across the office. "No... No, I won't let you take her!"

"Hermione..."

"She can't help being conceived! She didn't ask for this!" Somewhere to her right, she sensed Ron's surprise and elation, Harry's intrigue, and Molly's whimpers at the news that it was a girl she was carrying. Hermione's hands dropped instinctively to her abdomen, to cradle her womb. "I will have this baby... and I won't ever, _ever_ let you take her." And she beamed with affection down at her tummy, for she had already grown to love the child.

Hermione's father sighed, knowing the battle against his headstrong daughter was lost. He now prowled towards Ron and wagged a finger in his face. "You had better do right by them, boy."

Ron met his gaze squarely. "I intend to."

"Oi! I'm helping!" Harry readily volunteered. Hermione beamed at him.

"Godfather?" she murmured to Harry.

"I should bloody well hope so!" Harry boomed in approval. She burst out laughing at Ron's flabbergasted response to Harry swearing.

* * *

It was September 1st, 1995. A very pregnant Hermione just managed to waddle onto the scarlet Hogwarts Express. Ron held her hand the entire time, as Harry ran ahead down the car length to find an empty compartment. Hermione caught sight of her best friend sticking his head out of one, jerking it back to signal the expecting parents forward.

"OI! Everyone shove off!" Ron bellowed, clearing a path to Harry and the compartment with his voice. Harry ushered them both in.

"Just a few more hours, Hermione, and then we can get you into the safety of Hogwarts, and Madame Pomfrey's all yours..." Harry was rambling. He looked more than a little frazzled, his anxiousness having increased with each passing day of summer at the Burrow, as he and Ron had watched Hermione go through more frequent contractions. "Don't let it come today... please, please, please, don't let it come today..."

Ron gently lowered Hermione onto the plush seat by the window. As she settled in, Hermione suddenly flew a hand to her swelling stomach. "Oooh... I feel strange..."

Then the entire seat was inundated.

"Her water's broken!" Ron yelped in panic. Harry swore fluidly and fluently.

"We can't deliver it! On a moving train!" he squeaked. "Can't we hold it in until we get to the castle?"

But Hermione, who was already doubled over on the seat with Ron's hand in a vice-like grip, sent Harry a withering look. Harry shut his mouth, opting instead to fling open the compartment door and sprint down the length of the train car, shrieking, "Is there a Healer anywhere?!"

With some luck, it turned out that the Trolley Lady had once been a Healer at St. Mungo's, and she surrendered the sweet cart to be looted by the other students in order to come and help Hermione. Ron held Hermione's hand, kissed her forehead. Harry stood guard outside the compartment, forcing gawking onlookers back.

At long last, the Trolley Lady instructed Hermione to push. Her face scrunching up in agony, Hermione cried out as she heaved with all she had. Through an almost sweet haze, Hermione watched the baby's head crowning as she felt something start to slide out of her. Outside the window beyond, the train passed over a gorgeous field of roses.

"It's a girl!" the Trolley Lady announced, holding a squirming, squalling red thing to the light. Unlike most babies when they are born, this baby's eyes were wide open, locked onto Hermione's, as if she was trying to memorize every detail of her mother's face.

In that moment, Hermione fell in love for the second time in her life. "Rose," she whispered, brushing a weak hand across the infant's forehead.

The baby was cleaned, and nestled into Hermione's arms. Overcome, Ron began kissing both of his girls everywhere he could reach, rambling "I love you!" almost nonsensically.

There was a clatter behind the new family as Harry backed his way into the compartment, repelling the horde of students clogging the hallway, trying to get a glimpse of the new baby. Quickly, he and Ron performed magic to heal Hermione as best they could, under the Trolley Lady's guidance.

Hogwarts Castle would have a new resident in a matter of hours.


	3. Chapter 3: We'll Be There

**Chapter 3: We'll Be There**

The Fifth Year Feast was dampened by the announcement of a Ministry lackey, Dolores Umbridge, being appointed to the Defense Against the Dark Arts post. But with the arrival of the new baby, most of Gryffindor House and indeed the castle, ignored it... for now.

Despite the difficulties that quickly became apparent for the new term, Ron and Hermione fell into a routine taking care of their daughter while juggling classes. When he wasn't dealing with Voldemort's return, Harry dutifully helped, taking his role as godfather seriously, just as Sirius had done before him. Indeed, Rose's presence seemed to make the looming dangers weigh on Harry's mind all the more.

"I wish she hadn't been born in this time," he would mutter as he observed Hermione feed her or rock her to sleep by the Gryffindor fireplace late at night. "Wartime is no place for a baby."

Hermione would just shrug. "What's done is done." And Rose did have her uses, chiefly cheering up the members of Dumbledore's Army whenever a new decree was handed down from Umbridge.

Fifth year ended with Harry leading an assault on the Department of Mysteries to rescue Sirius Black. Rose's parents went with him, leaving Rose in the care of friends in Gryffindor House.

Sixth year was just as tense and tumultuous as the fifth. Gryffindor kicked off the term by throwing Rose a blow-out first birthday party; by now, the little girl was walking, and beginning to make sounds that mimicked speech. Harry spent many late nights returning from private meetings with Dumbledore in his office to find Ron, Hermione, and Rose all passed out by the fireplace, having tried to wait up for him.

The whole term flew by in a blur, culminating in a Death Eater attack on Hogwarts itself, led by Draco Malfoy, and the murder of Dumbledore. So it was that the Headmaster was laid to rest on a beautiful June day. After the service, Harry was resting on the grounds, soaking in some sun, when he spotted Ron and Hermione approaching, a 21-month old Rose toddling between them.

"Unca Harry!" Rose ran forward on chubby little legs. Harry caught her with a chuckle. Ron and Hermione sank down on the grass besides them. Seeing the little family, so happy together, reminded Harry of the decision he had come to.

"Get somewhere safe," he encouraged his friends. "Dumbledore left me a mission, and I'll have to go away for a while. Just... take Rose and hide somewhere safe. Please."

Ron frowned at him. "A mission? Where?"

"I'm not sure where, but it's about destroying You-Know-Who."

Harry watched as Ron and Hermione looked at each other.

"We'll be there, Harry."

"What?"

"On your mission, with you. We will go wherever you're going," Ron promised.

"But, Rose -"

"... will come with us," Hermione soothed. Or what she thought was soothing.

"Like hell she is!" Harry snarled.

"You said to us once before," Hermione continued over him quietly. "That we had time to turn back if we wanted to. Well, we've had time, haven't we? We're in this together."

Harry finally nodded his consent. But he was going to convince Hermione that they had to leave her child behind.


	4. Chapter 4: Crash the Wedding

**Chapter 4: Crash the Wedding**

Unfortunately, Harry never got that chance. The drums of war beat ominously as the summer after Dumbledore's death dragged on. Harry turned 17 at the sunset of July, and was spirited away from the Durselys to the Burrow. In August, a month before Rose's 2nd birthday, Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour were married.

Harry was in the reception marquee, bouncing Rose on his lap and watching her parents dance when it happened. A Patronus appeared in the middle of the guests, announcing the fall of the Ministry to Voldemort's control. Seconds later, black plumes hurled into the party, as Death Eaters attacked.

Rose in his arms, Harry sprang over a table and pelted towards Ron and Hermione. With no time to think, the quartet held onto each other and Disapparated.

Hermione had them emerge on Chauntsbury Avenue, a Muggle street, hustling her thrown-together family into an alley and dealing out supplies from her beaded bag. Rose squirmed in her father's arms.

"Mummy? Where are we going?"

"Hush, my little rosebud. Uncle Harry's going to take us to his place."

"What? I am?" There was no way Harry could go back to the Dursleys now, but when Hermione gave him an expectant look, he remembered. Grimmauld Place.

The four made it into the hidden safe-house without incident, Hermione quickly commandeering the kitchen to cook dinner. Ron entertained Rosie by showing her how to play the grand piano. Beethoven's 9th Symphony drifted through the background as Harry contemplated the Snitch left to him in Dumbledore's will.

Dinner was a silent affair, Harry joining in playing Rosie's games and acting as normal as he could. It was the only way he and her parents thought they could reassure her that nothing was wrong. Glancing up from her plate of mashed potatoes, Rose yawned sleepily.

"Bedtime, little lady," Hermione bristled. As soon as she flounced up the stairs with Rose over her shoulder, the men began to pow-wow in hushed tones.

"She can't stay here," Harry said flatly. "We have to send her back to the Burrow."

"We can't! You heard Dad's Patronus - the family is being watched!"

"So, we arrange a Portkey for her to take on her own, that lands her right in the back garden, and..."

"Are you insane, Harry? She's my daughter!"

"They're not going to slap her face on Wanted posters, now, are they?"

"They can do whatever they like! And they probably already have Rose doctored into a mugshot!"

"Well, is there anyone else? Maybe we could leave her with Lupin and Tonks!"

"Sure, that's real considerate - leave a pregnant woman with a toddler!"

"It would be good practice..."

The argument halted as Hermione came back into the kitchen. Even so, from the way her eyes flashed, it was apparent that she had overheard at least some of the conversation.

"My baby stays with me."

"Hermione -" Harry tried to reason.

"For now. She stays. She's my daughter. She stays."

Satisfied with this (although in his mind, Ron was desperate to ensure his daughter's safety), Ron turned to his best mate. "What's the plan, Harry?"

* * *

The plan involved breaking into the Ministry of Magic. Following an accidental tip from Mundungus Fletcher, the Golden Trio learned that a possible Horcrux lay inside the Ministry. Abducting three Ministry employees, Harry, Ron and Hermione took on their identities with Polyjuice Potion. In a decision that he would come to appreciate later, Harry elected to not leave Rose warded inside Grimmauld Place, but rather, concealed and warded in a rucksack across his back.

The quartet entered the lifts without incident, and finally managed to steal Slytherin's locket from off Umbridge's own neck. But before they could sneak back out of the building, the Polyjuice wore off. A Death Eater called Yaxley pursued them in a mad dash to the lifts, from which the band of renegades Disapparated.

* * *

Harry found himself on his back, in a cluster of trees. Remembering, he rolled onto his stomach to avoid crushing Rosie in the rucksack. He undid the wards, and broke his goddaughter out. "Good girl, Rosie... you are such a good girl... you were so quiet..." her godfather breathed in relief.

But then, Rose's eyes widened in horror, her lip trembling. "Daddy!"

She and Harry ran over to wear Ron was spread-eagled, bleeding and shaking. Hermione was hovering over the father of her child, tears in her eyes, as she began applying Dittany to the wounds.

"Why aren't we at Grimmauld Place?" Harry demanded, the tone harsher than he had intended.

"We were, we were!" Hermione hiccuped. "But Yaxley had hold of me and this is the first place I thought of when I shrugged him off... and Ron got splinched!"

Ron made a choking nose, as Rose laid herself flat on his chest, stroking his cheek. "Get better, Daddy," she murmured gently. Ron's countenance relaxed encouragingly.

Beaming with tenderness, Hermione softly kissed Ron's lips, then gathered Rose up in her arms. With her free hand, her wand began casting Protection charms all around their site, as Harry hefted Ron to his feet.

For the foreseeable future, they would be going on a camping trip.


	5. Chapter 5: Camping

**Chapter 5: Camping**

Hermione being Hermione, the clever witch had had the foresight to pack a tent in her magically extendable beaded bag. It was the same tent she, Harry and the Weasleys had stayed in during the Quidditch World Cup. There were four bunks, a kitchenette, and plenty of heating and blankets. Unfortunately, the one thing the group did lack was food.

So began a harsh existence in the wilderness. Hunting for food, Harry tried not to worry about Yaxley probably being dumped by accident inside Grimmauld Place, and instead focused all his efforts on trying to destroy the locket Horcrux. No regular spells could penetrate it, so the Trio elected to taking turns wearing the thing across their own necks. Right away, they discovered that while wearing the locket, each of them was affected emotionally, particularly in their moods and with bouts of short temper. Rose silently watched her parents and uncle trade off the responsibility with growing concern. She may have been not quite 2, but she wasn't dumb - far from it, considering she was the daughter of Hermione Granger.

"Mummy? Can I wear the pretty necklace too, please?"

"No, you may not," her mother told her sternly.

"But -"

"Rosie," Ron rumbled. "Listen to your mother."

Scavenging for food was an even bigger challenge. Rose would accompany one of her guardians in picking for mushrooms and wild blueberries. At night, deep in the woods, Hermione would then cook a meager dinner for the blended family. Ron was less mature than his own daughter about it, for while Rose ate whatever was put in front of her, Ron would mumble morosely about missing his mother's cooking. The day would end with Hermione tucking Rose into her bunk and singing her to sleep with a lullaby, her lilting soprano doing wonders in calming everyone's nerves:

 _"Goodnight, my someone, Goodnight, my love, Sleep tight, my someone, Sleep tight, my love, Our star is shining it's brightest light For goodnight, my someone, goodnight. Sweet dreams be yours, dear, If dreams there be. Sweet dreams to carry you close to me. I wish they may and I wish they might. Now goodnight, my someone, goodnight…."_

On guard duty, listening to Hermione sing her child to sleep from outside the tent, Harry knew their living situation was eventually, rapidly, going to become untenable. Every day that they were out searching for Horcruxes was another day that he was putting a two-year-old in danger. Rose was at once a soothing and constricting presence, throwing Harry off his game just as much as she relaxed him. But what frustrated Harry all the more is that he couldn't come up with a solution to ensure the safety of his best friends' child.

* * *

It was yet another night, another simple dinner - parsnips and a single fish cut in as smallest bites as possible. Harry noted, but didn't comment on, how Hermione and Ron readily gave their daughter some of their own portions. Captured in the light of the lanterns, Rose's gaze looked far too older than her two years. The toddler wasn't an idiot - she knew, or at least sensed, the danger they were all in.

"I'm sorry," her quiet voice pinged out suddenly.

"Whatever for, princess?" Ron stared.

"I'm a mistake... I'm not supposed to be here... the bad locket said so..."

Ron flinched sharply. "When did you have on the locket?" he asked jerkily.

Rose's wide blue eyes quivered. "I... I thought I could put it on," she whispered. "While you and Mummy were asleep. Ease your burden. The voice of the bad man said that I was an accident..."

"Rosie, what have Mummy and Uncle Harry and I told you about touching...?" But Hermione waved Ron's question down, taking her child's hands in hers.

"Rose, baby... I want you to understand something... your personhood and your existence have never, not even for a second, been considered an accident. You are not a mistake... do you hear me?"

Wordlessly, Rose nodded. Hermione settled their laced fingers along her abdomen.

"Fate gave you to me for a reason. Fate smiled down on me and placed you in my womb for a reason. I was meant to be your mummy, and I will never regret that..." Hermione's voice broke as she blinked away tears. Ron put an arm around his girls.

Across from the little family, the locket slung across his throat, Harry sat brooding. _They shouldn't be distracted_ , he thought, _keeping bare-knuckle-bones house with their daughter!_ Didn't his friends realize they had a job to do, and Rose was just getting in the way?

"Rosebud, do you want to sleep with Mummy and Daddy in our bunk tonight?" Hermione asked sweetly.

"Yes, please," Rose chirped.

* * *

Around wintertime, just a few weeks before Christmas, Hermione reached a breakthrough.

"Harry!" she called to her friend one night after dinner. "The sword of Gryffindor is impregnated with Basilisk venom! And Basilisk venom is one of the few substances that can destroy a Horcrux!" Beside her, Rose clambered up onto a bench to get a better look over her mother's shoulder.

"You are... _brilliant_ , Hermione! Truly!" Harry crowed.

But before they could come up with a new plan, all the lights in the tent went out, sucked into the Deluminator.

"Oh," Ron asked mock-innocently from a darkened corner of the abode. "Remembered me, have you? That's OK - you three go on ahead."

"Ron, if you've got a problem, spit and out and be done with it," Harry ordered.

He shouldn't have said that. Not while Ron was wearing the locket. Ron proceeded to get into a row with Harry about everything, from not having a real plan, to nearly starving in the wilderness, to having Rose continuously in danger.

"At least she's here! With us!"

"You never wanted her to come in the first place! At least I want my family safe!" Ron hurled back.

"And I don't? I don't want Rosie safe? Want my family safe?"

"Your parents are dead - you have no family!"

Harry lunged at Ron, Hermione emotionally getting between them even as Rose started to cry in the corner. "Ron, take it off, please take it off -"

"Fine, go! Go then! Go leave your child! Go leave the mother of your child!" Harry goaded.

He never expected Ron to call his bluff. Gathering his rucksack, the ginger rounded on Hermione.

"Well? Are you coming or are you staying?"

Hermione looked between Harry and Ron and Rose, her heart splitting three ways. "Yes, Ron, I'm staying; we have to be with Rosie, and Harry..."

"I get it. You choose him. You two deserve each other!" And Ron stalked out of the tent into the rain, Hermione pursuing him and tearfully begging for him to come back, until the CRACK of a Disapparition could be heard.

Hermione came pelting back into the tent in tears, scooped Rose up into her arms and settled them both onto the nearest bunk.

"Mummy? Where's Daddy?" Rose frowned.

"Dad... Daddy will be home soon," Hermione sobbed.

But Harry knew it was a lie.

* * *

Weeks passed. Even without the locket's assistance, Hermione slowly began to sink into a deep depression. Only Rose's chattering and innocence could bring a smile to the young witch's face, albeit a strained one. Harry watched the de-evolution with increasing unease. The mission was failing, and he knew it - had been failing even before Ron's departure dealt a critical blow. It was do or die now. Hermione was eating less and less, putting Rose's needs ahead of her own. She was so imbalanced, that a reconnaissance visit to Harry's birth place of Godric's Hollow ended in near disaster when Voldemort's snake Nagini attacked them. Rosie was nearly bitten. At one point, Hermione had a conversation with Harry that left her best mate chilled.

"Harry... if I die... please take care of my little girl... take care of my tiny rosebud... Promise me, on your honor!"

"On my honor," Harry swore, but he wasn't about to give up his best friend that easily. Because then, Ron would never forgive him.

1998 arrived. Sequestered amidst trees laden with snow, Harry and Rose watched as Hermione spent yet another evening the way she had been doing so for the past several weeks: listening to music on the wireless while pining for the father of her child. The fact that it was her turn to wear the locket didn't help matters.

"Mummy misses Daddy..." Rose whispered in a small voice to her uncle.

"Yes Mummy does miss Daddy," Harry acknowledged heavily. Then, an idea popped into his head. "Oi, maybe we can cheer her up a bit!" He whispered conspiratorially to his goddaughter. After a moment, Rose hopped up and prattled over to her mother, grasping for Hermione's hands.

"Dance with me, Mummy!"

Hermione regarded her daughter sadly. "Oh, Rosie, not right now, sweetums..."

But Harry was now already pulling Hermione to her feet, wordlessly removing the locket and casting it aside into a corner. With an easy push-and-pull, Rose prancing around at their feet, Harry encouraged Hermione to dance. Little by little, a smile forced its way onto Hermione's face. Pretty soon, the pair were dancing and boogeying along, taking turns to swing Rosie up between them, the little girl's shrieks of delight filling the air. Soon, the child was nestled in between two pairs of arms, Hermione's head on Harry's shoulder.

But the moment was to end all too soon. No sooner had the music faded away on the wind than Hermione sadly cuddled Rose close and retreated to the bunk that mother and baby shared. Harry hung his head, defeated.

 _Ron, where are you?_


	6. Chapter 6: Daddy Comes Back

**Chapter 6: Daddy Comes Back**

Wet and sputtering, Harry shook the dampness from his eyes, hardly daring to believe it. There, after weeks upon weeks, stood a grinning Ron. Ron, who had just saved him from drowning in a frozen pond. Ron, who had retrieved the sword of Gryffindor when he couldn't.

Now, they could finally, finally destroy a Horcrux. Harry lay the locket flat on a rock, and with a hiss of Parsletongue, opened it. Instantly, a tornado of dark magic exploded from its depths.

"I have seen your heart, and it is mine..."

"Don't listen to it!" Harry bellowed over the howling of the wind. "STAB IT!"

"I have seen your dreams, Ronald Weasley, and I have seen your fears... all that you desire is possible, but all that you dread is also possible..."

"Ron, it's lying!" Harry screamed, but Ron appeared not to have heard him.

"Least loved, always, by the mother who craved a daughter... Least loved, now, by the girl who prefers your friend... Least loved now, by the baby who yearns for another father... Second best, always, eternally overshadowed..."

Then three white figures appeared out of the blackness: perverted renderings of Harry, Hermione and Rose.

"We were better without you... happier without you..." Fake Harry sneered.

"Who could look at you, compared to Harry Potter? What are you, compared with the Chosen One? What are you, compared with the Boy Who Lived?" Fake Hermione jeered.

"I never needed you," Fake Rosie declared. "I have a new Daddy now..."

"Your mother professed that she would prefer me as a son... your daughter wants me to be her father..." Harry laughed.

"What woman would take you? You are nothing, nothing, nothing compared to him." Fake Hermione pronounced.

Then the ghosts of Harry and Hermione, naked, embraced and kissed; Hermione had flowers in her hair. Then, both were closed, Hermione in a wedding dress, with Rose nestled between the couple.

"NOOOOO!" Ron and the sword sliced through the scene, cutting down on the locket hard. There was a bang and a flash and then... nothing.

The real Harry emerged from his hiding place to find Ron down on his knees, head in his arms, weeping bitterly. Though he desperately wanted to comfort his friend, deny the blasphemy that Riddle had just concocted, words failed Harry. He simply helped Ron to his feet and trudged back towards the tent.

* * *

Hermione and Rose were cuddled together, asleep in their bunk, when Harry's distant voice calling out to them awoke mother and daughter from their slumber. Rose in her arms, Hermione stepped from the tent, to find Harry and a stranger trailing after him. Well, no, he wasn't a stranger... she had seen him in her dreams... in the replay of the best night of her life, the night they had conceived their baby...

"Hey," Ron's lopsided grin nearly broke his face.

Dead silence. Jaw set, Hermione thrust Rose into Harry's chest without even turning her head, advancing on Ron.

"You... complete... ARSE, Ronald Weasley! You crawl back here after weeks... and you say 'Hey'?" With a scream of rage, she tackled Ron to the forest floor.

However, in the next second, she was crying, gasping with relief, breathlessly kissing the life out of Ron's body, rolling them both around the snowy ground.

"Oh! Mmmm... mmmmm... They said on the wireless you were dead, Ron!... Mmmm... They said you were dead - and I believed them! Oooooh, I never want to feel that way again!"

Thoroughly snogged, Ron sat up, dazed. "Does this mean you accept my apology?"

"NO!" Hermione snapped, angrily pushing him down into the snow.

"DADDY!" And there was his Rosie, running towards him with an ecstatic look on her face and leaping into Ron's arms. The little girl nuzzled her face into his neck. "I love you so much..." she whimpered.

"I love you," Ron breathed, tears pricking at his eyes. " _So much_..."

Ron just caught the tender smile on Hermione's face before it disappeared. "Don't think this changes anything," she snarled. "Rosie, time for breakfast, sweetheart." And mother and child headed for the tent flap, hand in hand, leaving Harry and Ron staring after them.


	7. Chapter 7: Take Me Instead

**Chapter 7: Take Me Instead**

"That tricky little bleedster! Is there no one we can trust?" Ron fumed, as the quartet Apparated back into the woods. They had just come from an impulsive meeting with Xenophilius Lovegood, and nearly been captured by Death Eaters in the process.

Harry shrugged, stalking through the clearing to begin re-creating their campsite. All at once, a leering man in a dirty overcoat rose up out of the leaves.

"Well, what do we have here, lads?"

Instinctively, Harry threw his body wider to shield Hermione and Rose.

"Hermione..." Ron's voice was low. "Take Rosie and run!"

Harry sent a Stunning Curse into the intruder's face and the four took off running. "SNATCH 'EM!" the injured leader bellowed.

A group of Snatchers gave chase, twigs snapping and curses flying as the Golden Trio and their charge pelted through the trees. But no matter what spells the four threw back behind them, the pursuers gained. Finally, out of options, Hermione spun around with Rosie in her arms and surprised Harry with a Stinging Jinx, to conceal his face and identity.

Ron barreled into the ring of Snatchers. "Get your hands off them!" He coughed, as someone's fist rammed into his gut.

"Let him go!" Hermione begged, as hands grabbed for her. "No... NO! Rosie!"

"Your boyfriend and little brat will die quickly unless you shut it!" the lead Snatcher threatened. Curious, he held a crying Rose to the light. It was obvious the little girl's presence confused him. "Well, now... playing house in the woods, are we? This one will be my favorite, I reckon..." Hermione's blood ran cold.

"You touch her, I swear to Merlin..." Ron growled.

"What do we do with them, Scabior?" a thug asked the Snatcher holding Rose.

Scabior sneered. "Take 'em all to Malfoy Manor!"

* * *

Bellatrix Lestrange was deeply puzzled by the sight that had just spilled into the Malfoy's drawing room with little warning. A ginger, a Mudblood, a young man who may or may not be Harry Potter, and a whimpering toddler.

And in their possession was... no, it couldn't be...

"Where did you get that sword?" Bellatrix demanded, her one eye twitching in fear.

"It was in her bag when we found them," Scaboir gestured to Hermione. "Reckon it's mine now."

There was a vicious snap as a taut rope spurted from the end of Bellatrix's wand, curling around Scabior's neck like a whip. Yelping in fright, Rose buried her face into her mother's jeans, whilst all the Snatchers save one - the werewolf Fenrir Greyback - fled the mansion in terror.

Bellatrix prowled over to the cache of prisoners. Though her voice was relaxed, almost conversational, Harry sensed that the Death Eater was holding off a barely concealed panic.

"Where did you get this sword?"

Hermione visibly gulped. Her mouth clenched shut. Harry and Ron secretly eyed each other.

"We found it," Rose's voice broke the silence.

"Hush, little rosebud," Hermione whispered desperately. Too late. Bellatrix's eyes gleamed, and she bent before Rosie, her smile disturbingly sweet, her timbre smooth as honey. Only the honey was laced with poison and arsenic.

"And where did the pretty little rosebud find the sword? In my fault at Gringotts?"

"No, Bellatrix," Rose answered honestly, her gaze even. "In the woods."

Bellatrix flinched in disbelief. "You dare address me by name? You filthy MUDBLOOD SPAWN!" Flying into a rage, she flung the teenagers back towards Greyback, even as she roughly dragged a terrified and simpering Rose towards the center of the room.

"Put Mummy and Daddy and Ugly-Face in the cellar! Auntie Bellatrix is going to have a little chat with this one!"

"NOOOOOO!" Hermione wailed. "You can have me, keep me!"

"MUMMMY!" Rose screamed.

The tears streamed down Hermione's cheeks. "I love you, Rosie! Da-Da loves you, baby! Think of our song, ok? _Good night, my someone, good night, my love..._ " She broke down, weeping, as she thrashed in Greyback's grip. Eyes darting everywhere, her eyes fell on a cool pair of eyes. "Draco... help us, Draco!" Her pleas had come to that.

But Draco could only stare back at her, unfeeling. Yet his gaze seemed to betray the slightest hint of... fear? And then he was gone, as Greyback forced the Golden Trio down into the cellar.

"Reckon she'll give me the little one as a snack when she's done?" Greyback practically purred in Ron's ear. "I'd say I'd get a bite or two, wouldn't you, Ginger?"

Hermione and Harry could feel Ron shaking. Tied together, the three were thrown roughly into the cellar, the barred door clanging with damning finality behind them. No sooner had the sound faded away than Hermione heard Rose scream.

"She's torturing her, Ron! We've got to do something! We've got to do something NOW!" Hermione screeched hysterically.

"ROSIE!" Ron completely lost it, struggling fruitlessly against his ropes. "ROSIE!"

"Ron, shut up... AHHHH!" Harry yelled as, still tied together, Ron's struggling knocked all three of them over. Then, quite suddenly, a fourth voice wafted almost dreamily through the darkness.

"Ron, hold still -"

"Luna?!"

"Yes, it's me! Here, Dean, help me. Just... let me get... this nail..." Luna desperately filed away at the ropes with an old nail. It seemed to take forever, but the bonds were finally cut free. The moment he was loose, Ron was running all over the cellar, digging at the walls looking for a hidden door, rattling the barred entrance. Harry dug through Hermione's beaded bag furiously, trying in vain to use magic with his broken wand - the one that had broken in the skirmish with Nagini. Hermione was screaming Rosie's name, tears streaming down her face and into her mouth so that she choked. Harry nearly cut his hand on the shard of mirror, the one where he had thought he had seen Dumbledore's eye.

"Help us!" he pleaded. "My goddaughter is being tortured, help us, damnit!" There was no response.

Ron was now trying to Disapparate without a wand.

Then, Harry remembered. Fishing out the Deluminator, he sent balls of light into the air. With no lanterns or other light sources to go to, the balls of light simply hovered there, suspended. Harry finally got a good look at their prison.

Luna Lovegood and Dean Thomas were both there, as well as a much older man, whom Harry recognized right away as Mr. Ollivander. From up above, there was the shriek of Bellatrix trying to get whatever information she could out of the little girl.

"You are lying, spawn of a Mudblood slut, and I know it! Tell the truth! Tell the truth!"

"We found it... we found it... PLEASE!" Rose screamed.

"CRUCIO!"

Dean looked somewhere between horrified and murderously enraged. "Is that Rosie?"

Hermione was on all fours, her body heaving with sobs.

"Ron, what the bloody hell were you thinking, bringing her here?" Dean was roaring himself hoarse at Ron now.

"We didn't have a chance to get her to safety, so don't lecture me on being a good parent, Dean! Not now!"

"You may no longer _be_ a parent unless -"

There was a sudden CRACK!

"DOB-" Harry had to punch Ron in the arm to keep him from shouting. The little house-elf bowed.

"Dobby has come to save Harry Potter!"

"Brilliant!" Harry crowed, and he rapidly came up with a plan. "Dobby, can you take Dean, Luna, Mr. Ollivander and Hermione to -"

"Shell Cottage on the outskirts of Tinworth!" Ron interrupted. Harry gave him a look. "Trust me."

But Hermione was shaking her head. "No. I'm staying with you!"

"Like hell you are!" Ron snarled. "I'm getting our daughter back!"

"No, _we're_ getting our daughter back," Hermione got to her feet. Standing on tiptoe, she kissed Ron's lips lightly. "If we die tonight, we die together, with our little Rosebud. I truly, deeply love you and our baby, and before we die, I want you to know."

At last, Ron nodded. Harry signaled to Dobby, and with a loud CRACK, he and the other three prisoners Disapparated.

There was a pause in the torture upstairs. "WHAT WAS THAT?" Lucius Malfoy bellowed. "No, send Wormtail! Make him go and check!"

Harry threw together a plan within seconds. Less than seconds. "Ron, he opens the door, kill the lights. We're gonna have to jump him!"

Ron and Hermione nodded. The Trio flanked either side of the door as they heard Wormtail approach. There was a creak of metal as the door opened...

And everything went black. Wormtail was thrown to the floor as the three young wizards got the drop on him. Harry beat with his fists blindly, Ron was sitting on the little man, hands locked around his throat. Wormtail's body twitched, flailed violently, but after several minutes, it unexpectedly lay still.

Ron and Harry locked gazes, the former's hands still glued to the Death Eater's throat.

"You _killed_ him!" Harry gawped.

"By accident," Ron shrugged. Free, the trio advanced up the stairs. Reaching the edge of the drawing room on all fours, Hermione nearly retched at the sight before them.

Having not gotten what she wanted out of Rose, Bellatrix was progressively losing her shit. Again and again, she sent the Cruciatus Curse at the little girl, but though she screamed in agony, Rose refused to even tear her gaze away from the evil witch, or otherwise give in.

At last, Bellatrix halted, looking almost... shaken that she was being shown up by a two-and-a-half year old toddler. "I think... we can dispose of the little brat. Greyback, take her if you want her."

"NOOOOOOOO!" Ron charged into the drawing room, his friends hot on his heels. Harry dove wildly and collided with Greyback. Seizing several wands that clattered to the side of their bodies, Harry pointed all three at the werewolf and bellowed "STUPEFY!"

Greyback was lifted clear off his feet with a yelp and slammed into a window, the panes shuddering dangerously as his body dropped out of sight behind a couch. Harry flipped two wands to Ron and Hermione, and they began dueling the Malfoys.

"DROP YOUR WANDS!" Everyone froze. Bellatrix, her eyes wild and desperate, was clean on the other side of the room, supporting Rose with all her weight and a knife at the little child's throat. "I said drop them! Or we'll see how filthy her blood really is!"

"No..." Hermione whispered. "Please..."

"All right!" Harry snarled, and threw down the wand, putting his hands up to shoulder-height. Reluctantly, Ron and Hermione followed suit.

"Good! Draco, pick them up! Your death approaches, Harry Potter! The Dark Lord will be pleased!"

Then, all hell broke loose once again.

The chandelier directly above Bellatrix started to crash down on her. With a wail, Bellatrix threw Rose away from her; diving forward, Hermione caught her daughter in her arms. In the confusion, Harry darted forward to subdue Draco, who practically threw the captured wands back at him.

Dobby appeared by the fugitives' sides; with a snap of his fingers, he actually disarmed Narcissa Malfoy.

"You dirty little monkey!" bawled Bellatrix, sounding every bit like a whiny little bitch. "How dare you defy your masters!"

"Dobby has no master! Dobby is a free elf, and Dobby has come to save Harry Potter and his friends!"

The Disapparation began almost in slow motion. There was a flash of silver just across Harry's vision as Bellatrix flung something forward desperately. It turned over and over and then -

With a sucking sound, the little band disappeared into thin air.


	8. Chapter 8: Shanked

**Chapter 8: Shanked**

Salty air filled Harry's nostrils as he slammed into what felt like coarse sand. Dampness lapped up his jeans as his eyes adjusted to seeing the tide coming in from beyond.

"Is everyone OK? Hermione? Ron?"

"AHHHHHHHH!" Hermione's blood-curdling scream caused Harry to whip his head around.

Hermione was kneeling halfway in the tide, her arms cradling an ashen Rose who was caked in blood. The source seemed to be her stomach, and when Harry drew closer, he nearly hurled -

A knife was in his goddaughter's stomach.

Ron snatched Rose away from Hermione and broke into a run, bellowing, "BILL! FLEUR! HELP!" Hermione pelted after him, sobbing and calling Ron's name. Harry looked to Dobby.

"Stay with me?"

The elf nodded solemnly. "Until the end, Harry Potter." Dobby loyally followed Harry to where the others were hustling towards a cottage on the edge of the beach. Fleur Weasley emerged onto the porch.

"Ron, what is...?" Her hands flew to her mouth. " _Mon Dieu_!"

"Fleur, Dittany and anything else in the medicine cabinet, now!" Bill ordered.

"Bill, please save my baby! Please!" Hermione was utterly hysterical. Ron was in no better shape. "Knife... Crucio... Bellatrix..." he rambled, making no sense.

Harry sprang onto the porch and burst into the house.

"Harry -"

"Not now, Bill! Dobby, stay close!" Harry took the stairs two at a time, and barreled into a bedroom, where Rose was being bandaged and Fleur was using every potion and Healing spell available. The little girl was out cold, Hermione sitting vigil by her sickbed and holding her hand. Ron stood over them both, his calloused paws massaging Hermione's shoulders.

Close to an hour passed like this. Fleur cleaned and healed the wound, then cleaned the knife, and was just about to throw it away when Harry stopped her.

"Give it to me." Confused, Fleur acquiesced, and Harry pocketed it. This blade would find a new target soon enough, he vowed. _You swing at my family, you'd better not miss; you'd better have another punch to throw..._

There was a slurring groan as Rose began to stir. Hermione anxiously bent over her.

"Rosie? Baby, can you hear me?"

At last, Rose opened her eyes. "Mummy..."

"Wake up, honey," Ron implored gently.

"Yes, that's right! Mummy's here! It's Mummy, darling!" Tears of relief spilled down Hermione's cheeks, and she covered Rose's face with kisses.

Leaning against the doorjamb, Harry watched the little family reunite. It looked like Rose was going to be OK. Slowly, he retreated to the hallway. After a moment, he felt footsteps following him, as Ron appeared at his side.

"What now?"

"We stay here until Rose gets better, then plan our next move. Go to Gringotts. Bellatrix was concerned about something in her vault, and I intend to find out what."

"What about Rose?"

"She's not coming with us. And neither are you. Or Hermione. I'm doing this alone."

"Like _fuck_ you are!" Ron snapped.

"Ron! Do as I say!" Harry spit. " _This_ -" and he threw an arm back towards Rose's bed, " - is _exactly_ what I didn't want to have happen. I refuse to risk the child of my best friends again. There are things I've done in my life, but I was always ready to face the consequences, to protect my family! From here on out, I act with that in mind."

"NO!" And Ron and Harry were both shocked to see Rose sitting up in bed. "I'm coming too! We started this thing together, and that's how we'll finish it!" She looked determined, resolute, and in that moment, like a clone of her mother. Hermione just bit her lip, clearly not approving of Rose's decision, but also unsure how to go against her daughter's wishes.

Harry peered at Rose, then glanced to Hermione. "You sure this kid's only two-and-a-half?" he cracked. Because she looked and sounded much older.

Hermione chuckled nervously. "I gave birth to her, remember?"

Harry strode into the room and sat on the edge of his niece's bed. "All right, Rosie. Once you're better, you can come with us."

"Harry!" Ron gawped. "Are you bloody mental?!"

Harry held up a hand. "On one condition: you keep out of sight, never over-exert yourself and do exactly. as. I say. Or what your parents say. If we tell you to run, you run! Understand?"

"OK," Rose whispered softly.

"Excellent." Harry patted her on the head affectionately, then exited the room where he met Bill in the hallway.

"I need to speak to the goblin."

* * *

Draco Malfoy peered out the windows of Malfoy Manor at the driving rain. Over the past few days, everything that he thought he had known or had believed in had been turned completely on its head. And he wasn't sure yet whether it was in a good way.

Voldemort had arrived minutes after Harry Potter and company had fled. Upon discovering their absence, the Dark Lord had flown into a rage and murdered without regard. All the Snatchers that had captured the prisoners were hauled back in and cut down. Greyback's corpse was found dead behind the couch where he had dropped. Somehow, Bellatrix had avoided serious punishment, along with Draco and his parents, but even so, blood soaked through the hardwood floor of the drawing room.

Draco had never seen anything like it. When his aunt was torturing a toddler - a _toddler_! - the little brat of Granger and Weasley had stared her down, given nothing up, lied through her teeth (or maybe she had been telling the truth? He wasn't sure anymore). All under the Cruciatus Curse. Rose had refused to be cowed, and this had caused Bellatrix to utterly melt down.

And in the aftermath, spin it to anyone who would listen that she had somehow succeeded. She was lying her ass off; Draco knew it.

He could sense his aunt's presence behind him, talking in hushed tones with his parents.

"She's not weak, you know." He didn't address this to anyone in the room in particular, but Bellatrix all the same rounded on her nephew curiously.

"What?"

Draco stared into the darkened window panes. "Valuing life is _not_ weakness."

"Oh, if you're talking about what happened with the Mudblood's brat, I had it under control..."

"And disregarding it is _not_ strength!" Draco bravely turned to face her.

"Look, I called her bluff, Drakey! I know it was scary for you, but..."

"Next time you gamble? Bet your own damn life!" Draco shoved Bellatrix hard and stormed off, leaving his aunt gaping in his wake.


	9. Chapter 9: Hurtling Towards the End

**Chapter 9: Hurtling Towards the End**

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Rose stood on the beach by Shell Cottage, smiling gratefully down at Dobby.

"You have somewhere safe to go?"

"Yes, Harry Potter!" the elf squeaked.

Harry smiled down at his friend. "You've more than proven yourself a free elf, Dobby. But this is the last time you save my life, you hear me?" he winked jokingly, and Dobby giggled. Rose, who drew about even with the elf in height, embraced him.

"Thank you, Dobby."

"My pleasure, Mistress Weasley!" And with a CRACK! he was gone.

"All right," Harry sighed. "Rose, get into Uncle Harry's backpack. Griphook, on my shoulders. Hermione?"

Hermione nodded, and threw back the Polyjuice Potion in one go. Harry threw the Invisibility Cloak over himself, Griphook and Rose. Once Hermione had transformed into Bellatrix Lestrange, she and a disguised Ron joined the invisible group and Disapparated to Gringotts.

* * *

Breaking into Gringotts was probably even more dangerous than breaking into the Ministry.

Harry had to use an Imperius Curse to allow his group back into the vault. They entered the Lestrange trove, and quickly recovered Huffllepuff's Cup. But in their moment of victory, Griphook betrayed them so he could ensure that he got his hands on the sword of Gryffindor, as Harry had recklessly promised him in exchange for his help. Only Hermione's ingenuity saved them, as she boldly commandeered a dragon - an actual dragon! - and the band of outlaws made their escape on its back, destroying half the bank in the process. When the dragon flew low over a lake, the quartet dropped off its back and swam for shore.

Entering Hogsmeade Village by Apparating, alarms were set off immediately. Harry and his family were rescued in the nick of time by an old innkeeper hustling them into his pub, who turned out to be Aberforth Dumbledore, Albus's brother. His bar, The Hog's Head, had a portrait hole passageway that led right into the Room of Requirement, and soon, an extremely battered Neville Longbottom had arrived to escort the quartet there.

Most of Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw houses were waiting for them. They all readily agreed to help Harry search for an object that belonged to Rowena Ravenclaw. Ron and Hermione offered to go down into the Chamber of Secrets and destroy the Cup. That left the question of what to do about Rosie. Harry knelt in front of his niece.

"When the Battle starts, you find a safe place to hide in this room, and stay there."

"Sure," Rose replied, a little too casually.

"And stay there!" Harry warned.

Voldemort and his forces began to descend on Hogwarts. Spells and advancing armies bashed the ancient structure. With Luna's assistance, Harry found the lost diadem of Ravenclaw and was just meeting up with his family in the Room of Requirement when -

Draco and his cronies attacked them. Hermione fired spells while shielding Rose with her own body, and in the confusion, Goyle set the whole room on fire. Hand in hand, Ron and Hermione fled with their daughter, Harry right behind them. Coming across some brooms, the foursome flew out of the Room of Requirement, reluctantly rescuing a trapped Malfoy and Goyle in the process. The diadem was consumed by the Fiendfyre, which just so happened to be another substance that destroys Horcruxes.

Harry wheeled back through the list of Horcruxes in his head: the diary, the ring, the locket, the cup, the diadem - all destroyed. There was just one more - Nagini, the snake.

Running through the chaos, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Rose made their way down to the Boathouse, where Harry had seen a vision of Voldemort. Just inside, they overheard the Dark Lord talking to Snape, venting about how the Elder Wand - the first of the Deathly Hallows - refused to do his bidding. Declaring Snape a rival, Voldemort ordered Nagini to kill him and vanished. Harry broke into the boathouse, comforting a dying Snape, who strangely used the last of his strength to give Harry some of his memories.

The four returned to the castle to find the Weasleys in agonizing grief over the death of Fred. Leaving Ron, Hermione and Rose to be with the family, Harry proceeded up to Dumbledore's office and the Pensieve. Diving into Snape's memories: he discovered shattering truth after shattering truth: Snape had been a double agent working for the Order all along, because he had been in love with Harry's mother, and that Harry was an accidental seventh Horcrux, which in order to be destroyed, meant -

Harry took his time walking through the quiet castle. He found Ron, Hermione and Rose on the steps of the Great Hall.

"Where have you been?" Hermione asked in relief.

Harry just gulped, choking back the tears. "There's a reason I can talk to snakes. That I can hear the Horcruxes. See into Voldemort's mind. I've known for a while... and I think you have too. I have to face him."

Hermione threw a hand over her mouth to stifle the sob. "I'll go with you!" she moaned, rushing into his arms.

"No," Harry shook his head. "Kill the snake, and then it's just him! You and Ron can get married, live happily with Rosie."

"Mate..." Ron began.

Harry smirked. "If I'm going to die for my little niece, I want her to have two parents who can tell her stories about me." He kept his voice low, so as not to worry Rose, who was playing with her shoes. The little girl now stood and approached her uncle.

"Where are you going, Uncle Harry?"

"I have... another mission, Rosie. And it's a long way away, and will take a very long time. Uncle... Uncle Harry's not going to be home for a while." He hated lying to her, but he also felt an unconscious need to protect her, had since the day she was born. Harry hugged Rose fiercely and kissed her forehead. "Goodbye, honey." His voice broke. "You be a good girl!"

And then, turning away from the only family he had ever known, Harry left for the Forbidden Forest, to face his own death... and Voldemort.

* * *

When Hagrid gathered his body up in his arms and funeral marched him to the castle, he waited. Amidst the screams of anguish, Ginny's loudest of all, he waited. Voldemort was droning on about his victory, Neville was shouting a brave last stand... and still he waited.

There was a CLANG of a sword, and Harry elbowed Hagrid hard in the arm, forcing the giant to let go of him and he dropped to the ground.

With a roar of fury from the Dark Lord, the Battle of Hogwarts resumed. Now clean of the Horcrux part of his soul, Harry squared off against Voldemort for their final showdown.

Ever eager to help the Dark wizard whom she worshiped, Bellatrix felt the need to get in the way. "I will kill him for you, Master!"

Harry ducked a Killing Curse from Bellatrix, plunged a hand into his robes, rushed forward and sent Bellatrix's own knife into her chest. "That was for my goddaughter!" Harry snarled through bared teeth, as a stunned Bellatrix expired.

The loss of his most faithful lieutenant distracted Voldemort just long enough for Neville Longbottom to rush into the fray and chop off Nagini's head with the sword of Gryffindor.

With no more Horcruxes, Harry and Voldemort circled each other, engaging in a fierce duel. But the Elder Wand could never defy its true Master - Harry Potter himself - and with one shout of Expelliarmus, Voldemort's Killing Curse rebounded and hit him instead.

The celebration was raucous. Ron and Hermione reached Harry first, and Rose leapt into her beloved uncle's arms. And then Ginny was by Harry's side, and together, the couple shared a long, relieved kiss. Naturally, Rose made a face.

"Uncle Harry, yuck!"

"Quiet, Rosie!" Harry laughed.

* * *

Harry, Ron and Hermione sat with Rose at the Gryffindor table, Hermione gently cutting up some of her daughter's breakfast into little pieces for her. Just then, Kingsley Shacklebolt, the Acting Minsiter for Magic, approached.

"Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger... I am pleased to inform you that your daughter, Rose Hermione Weasley, has been nominated for Order of Merlin, First Class, for acts of outstanding bravery or distinction in magic, namely for becoming the youngest individual in history to survive the Cruciatus Curse. If confirmed, she will be the youngest Order of Merlin recipient in wizarding history."

Ron and Hermione looked at each other over the head of their daughter, speechless. Ron nearly fell off the bench.

"Bloody hell! That's... thank you, Minister!"

Rose looked up at the towering man. "Do I get a medal?" she squealed. Harry snorted into his pumpkin juice, Ginny trilling out a laugh.

Kingsley smiled kindly at her. "We'll see, Rose." After he had left, Ron suddenly had a thought.

"Hang on! An Order of Merlin nomination can only be filed by someone who was present at the outstanding event! You said that first year," he said to his girlfriend.

Hermione blinked. "That's... that's right, I did."

"So... someone who was present at Malfoy Manor had to have nominated Rosie. And if we didn't do it, then... who did?"

A small voice behind them answered. "I did."

The Golden Trio wheeled around in shock to find Draco Malfoy studying the little family, looking the meekest they had ever seen him.

"Malfoy?" Harry stared.

Draco cleared his throat. "Ron... Hermione... Rose..." the three visibly jumped at Draco actually referring to them by their first names. " I showed Kingsley my memories of the Manor. What... what my aunt did was wrong, and I'm glad she's dead." He now reserved his words and gaze for Rose. "You're worth more than anyone gives you credit for, little one. I'm just sorry I didn't intervene, the way I should have."

Ron was rapidly opening and closing his mouth like a fish. Hermione's eyes were welling up with tears. She dared to take Draco's hand and squeeze it. "Thank you. I forgive you."

Draco gave her something that looked like a genuine smile and slipped away. Ron scowled, jamming a fork angrily into his potatoes.

"Well, _I'm_ never forgiving him."

"Ronald! He nominated our daughter for an Order of Merlin..."

"... which she never would have needed if hadn't sat on his ass and let her be tortured!" Ron finished in a hiss.

"You know, he does have a point," Harry conceded.

"Thank you!"

Hermione and Rose just rolled their eyes. "Honestly!" mother and daughter echoed.

* * *

A few weeks later, it was a glorious summer's day, with the skies a brilliant blue. Under a simple marquee, Hermione was in a white wedding dress, facing Ron in a devilishly handsome tuxedo. Minister Shacklebolt smiled down at them both.

"I now pronounce this couple husband and wife. You may kiss the bride, Mister Weasley."

Ron took Hermione in his arms and kissed her full on the lips. The entire congregation cheered, led by Harry, who had Rose balanced on his hip and was standing by Ron's side as the best man. Squirming, his niece reached for her now-married parents and flew into their waiting arms.

"Mummy... Daddy..." she purred, as the three nuzzled together. They were safe, and they were a family.


	10. Chapter 10: September 1st, 2006

**Chapter 10: September 1st, 2006**

Hermione Granger Weasley checked over the appearance of her daughter one final time. She couldn't believe her little girl was already 11 and about to get on the Hogwarts Express for the first time. Well, as a student - Rose had made the trip before when her parents had been in school. Merlin, she had been born on the train.

"Bag. Jumper." Hermione zipped Rose's jacket shut. Suddenly overcome, she hugged her daughter close. "Merlin, I'm gonna miss you..." She may have had Rose when she was only 15, weeks away from turning 16, but now at almost 27, Hermione realized that it never got easier to celebrate her eldest child's milestones. By her side, Ron stood with his arms around their 7-year-old son Hugo and their 4-year-old daughter Melissa. Spying some familiar figures through the smoke, her husband nodded.

"Here they come."

Harry and Ginny Potter emerged from the clouds of steam, 1-year-old James on Harry's hip and weeks-old Albus Severus Potter nestled in Ginny's arms.

"Uncle Harry! Aunt Ginny!" Rose rushed into the arms.

"So," Harry laughed. "The youngest Order of Merlin recipient in history is finally going off to Hogwarts! How does it feel?"

Rose grinned sheepishly. "Weird. I don't even remember much about how I won it."

"Doesn't mean your mum and I are not bloody proud!" Ron beamed.

" _Ron_!" Hermione scolded.

Just then, who should sidle up to the group but Draco Malfoy, and his wife Astoria. A small boy was with them, who looked to be no more than 6.

Ron nodded to Draco curtly. "Malfoy. What are you doing here?"

Draco shrugged. "Scorpius wanted to see the train." But Scorpius was no longer even looking at the locomotive. He was staring at Rose, absolutely captivated.

"You're... you're Rose Weasley," he stammered. "The youngest Order of Merlin recipient _ever_ and the youngest person _ever_ to survive the Cruciatus Curse! I have all your Chocolate Frog Cards! Will you sign them?"

Rose blinked, utterly perplexed and still not used to the attention. Ron and Hugo snickered. As Rose finished signing a Chocolate Frog card with a quill, and the Malfoys walked away, Harry smirked at his niece. "I think you've got an admirer..."

This made Ron snap his head up far too quickly. "Never! No daughter of mine is ever dating a Malfoy!"

"Ron, honestly, the boy is only six!"

The train whistle blew, and Rose hugged her entire family goodbye, bounding on board.

"Bye, Mummy! Bye, Daddy! Bye, Hugo! Bye, Melissa! Goodbye, Uncle Harry! Goodbye, Aunt Ginny!"

Hermione blew her daughter a kiss. "Merlin be with you."


End file.
